The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-11
MORNING NEWS LIBRARY, NO. 81.
FIVE OLD LETTERS.
BY MISS S. LUCY JOINER.
copyrighted, 1887, by J. II. EstiH.l
CHAPTER III.-CoNTIsUED.

myself into believing that I could be hap
pier as Roberts wife. Now-oh, strange
contradiction in our strange humanity. 1T
seems to me it had one blessed joy then
above all others-freedom and clear con-
science! This poor room becomes i'm
measurably dearer to me as the time to
leave it draws near / feel as if l would
gladly live the old life for years to come
rather than enter upon the one that spreads
out so fair before me- 1t is a dreary feel
ing; little sadder, believe, than any other
heartache; the feeling that my life has been
wasted, that don't know what it is. 1t
must be that do not love him, and that
am doing him wrong in pretending SO.
Jeffrey, do you know anything about such
thingss Would it be kinder, do you think,
to tell him the truth? When make up my
mind to do this l feel as if I cannot meet
the reproachful sadness of his eyes.
July 81 might have spared myself the
dread of marrying Robert. He is dead! l
write the words quietly, with a strange and
bitter tumult in my heart. And SO my
poor little dream is ended Does it not
seem an awful thing This morning he left
me full of hea It'll and hope; and tonight he
is lying over there in his stately home, with
his loyal, loving heart forever still!
o, my friend! Omy strong hearth Was
it because | valued your love too lightly
that God took it from mes His parting
words have haunted me all day. He had to
take long drive in the country, and came
10 tell me that he might not return until to-
morrow.
''Shall you miss me, Bessie?' he asked.
I said eyes" but do not think he was
satisfied. He took my face in both his
hands.
Are you happy, child' he asked again.
! wish to heaven had answered him diff
ferently | wish-alasl how fruitlessly!
that | had said something to drive away
that look of sorrowful yearning in his eyes.
But l did not, for his last words were:
II trust you have not made a mistake"
The very words | had written to you! |
think life is full of mistakes!
1t must be that God let's us blunder, and
means that we shall
Rise on stcppiug-stones
OF our dea selves to higher things"
was restless when he had gone. I re-
solved that when he returned I would try
harder to make hlm happy, and that /
would never grieve him by telling him my
fears AS the day wore on he was more and
more in my thoughts. All the brave I'M
selfish things knew of him, his gentlest
words and lovingeSt smiles, how they
thronged my brain! Did God ever make a
finer nature? Had mine grown discordant
that it could not harmonic with one so
perfectly attuned to all high and noble i'm
pulses!
l picked up a volume of his favorite-
Charles Lamb" On the fly leaf were
these words written with pencil:
81 fancied long ago that, like
the gentle Charles / should lead
life of single blessedness-or ours
edness mine would be-as his must
have been, but for its unselfish devotion to
his sister, its brave bearing of lonely bur-
den-that made it blessed and beautiful be-
yond all words! But was wrong in that.
Ny future now looks so fair and perfect
that | seem half bewildered with too much
joy-and yet there are moments when doubt
its being anything but beautiful dream"
"a few more words had been written and
rubbed out.
Tears were in my eyes, as l thought, ''The
beautiful dream shall last. | have prom
ised, and will be true. God helping me,
will bear my lonely burden to the endp'
Early in the afternoon Biddy O'Flannigan
came up to my room. Nurse followed close
behind her, and my heart tainted within me
as | saw her raise the corner of her apron to
her eyes
Child" began Biddy, ''let me rest here
Jist a minnit.n
She took out huge red handkerchief and
wiped her face. Then she folded it with
nice precision and looked sideways at it as
she laid it on her lap. Then she took note
out of her bosom and eyed that in the same
suspicious way. Then she clutched at her
red face with both red hands, and | fell to
crying, while nurse drew a little nearer
and began to feel my pulse. Frightened as
was, could not help laughing, as begged
them to tell me if anything had hap
pened.
Stay bit," Biddy began again, choking
down her sobs, and applying the big hand
Herchief vigorously. 81 must spake to ye
agln We rade that paper. Do you think,
money, as ye could liver make up yer moind
Ike Moses, or some o. the blissid Scripter
SAINTS, fur 10 Civ up yer one yo lam should
the blissid Fayther ask it of yer
Josie! oh not that, Biddy!' gasped
Not that, indade, my darlint Misthress
Josie is well, an shure an that should be a
cumtit TO ye It's him-the docthrer-
throwed by that divilish black haste O. his
that niver could abide the looks on. But
aoan't, honey. Don't look like that Jist
lay yer head down here, my lam, an let the
tears come They'll helpyou, shure an they
God help us when we shed such tears
when some true heart one has grieved and
Wronged can no longer be moved by aught
one can say or do; and one feels that If the
dark curtain that hangs like pail between
NE and the mysteries of the beyond might
pe lifted, nothing could keep back the
tenderness one now wastes ON the hfeless
clay!
y +
will not say l am lonely. so truly de-
srve to be lonely; so truly deserve to have
lost the friend my Maynard heart would
never own for its king.
Inc days come and go, and Edith and L
are working and waiting together. Work
ing that we might live. Waiting because
we cannot choose but wait One has only
70 look into Ediths sad face on which there
rests a look of fixed resolve to see for what
sue Is waiting. She is in the full bloom OF
Wonanhood, being not more than six years
my senior. Mr.. Temple has asked her to
JON MS regularly organized band of isis
Iefs' as she already does the work OF one
among the poor and rich of his parish. But
she says she is not fit for that; that she
must work more humby. She tells me
mat her one object and hope In life is TO
htone for the mistakes Of the past. | watch
her sometimes bending all her fine powers
~ hiind and person 20 this one purpose. /
hiiQw that the work she does Is not easy for
Ldlth. She Is proud and reticent, and must
hnrlnk from contact with coarser nature;
IeIned and sensitive. and the sin and mis-
Wy sho strives 10 lessen must be daily
hhock ~ her